The Origin Of Perfection
by Eternally-Yours-24
Summary: The war was finally over after thousands of years. Gems were free to be themselves, and peace had been established throughout the galaxy. But after a strange dream, Steven stumbles across a series of shocking revelations that could change everything. He always knew White Diamond as a villain, but was she once a hero? Set after Change Your Mind.
1. Chapter 1

**(1. Creators)… **A twinkling beam lit up the dimness, bringing with it the silhouette of a young boy. It faded almost as soon as it appeared, leaving Steven standing on the crystalline surface of the Warp Pad. Before him was the wrecked spaceship that had once housed the corrupted Nephrites, gnarled vines wrapped around the metal surface as if they were protecting it. This had once been a magnificent Gem vessel, but now it was really just a greenhouse.

White Diamond sat next to it. She was curled in on herself; her back was hunched, her legs pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Against the Earth's flourishing, colorful wilderness, she stuck out like a sore thumb, with her glittery silk and porcelain-white skin. Steven knew she'd be here due to Garnet's future vision. She didn't move when he approached her, slowly, since he didn't quite know what she'd do if he happened to startle her.

"Uh, White?" he ventured cautiously, "You've been gone for a long time. Yellow and Blue are wondering where you went. Are you okay?" She'd gotten out of the healing pool and left with very little warning a while ago.

To his surprise White grimaced, hugging herself even tighter. In the fading light Steven thought she was particularly lovely, her paleness and the dark being a perfect contrast. He pushed this far back into his mind where he couldn't reach it.

"It's just that…why was I never there?" she whispered, so quietly that Steven didn't hear her at first. The way she spoke was so different from the powerful voice he was used to hearing, the one that shook the entire room if she was angry enough. She now sounded so fragile, so small, that he could hardly believe he was talking to the same person. Concern ached in his chest.

"Huh?" he said.

"I was never there for them. When Pink left it was so hard for all of us…and I just made everything worse. Back when it was just the three of us and our creators, I was always alone…they were always together. I said I hated being alone, I always did, but I suppose that in the end I'm just more comfortable that way…"

Somewhere in Steven's mind, something clicked. Our _creators._ It added another part to this big and frustrating puzzle he's been trying to solve. Each time he thinks he's gotten closer to finishing the picture, he finds another piece hidden under his shoe or accidentally slipped underneath the rug, making the whole thing even more complicated.

And she'd said the _three_ of them. What about Pink?

"…When they said I'd overwhelmed them, that they were unhappy," White continued in that same broken little voice, "Miserable, even…I hurt them even more. I shouldn't have done that!" Her elegant fingers nearly curled into a fist here. "I was just so angry. At first, I thought I was angry at them…but now I realize I was only angry at myself. Why are you even talking to me? After I nearly killed you…after what I did to your friends…"

"Your creators?!" Steven blurted. The question felt awkward and random, but it flew off his tongue anyway. He just couldn't get past it. White trailed off, looking troubled from it. Steven's face flushed in embarrassment. "Sorry," he mumbled.

White slowly shook her head. She continued to stare straight ahead, just like she'd been doing the entire time. Her eyes were glassy, far away. "They're all gone now," she said quietly. "I think that might be my fault, too."

Steven lowered himself down onto the cool grass beside her, noting how White had sidestepped the question, but he didn't push her. With their newfound silence, the symphony of the forest grew louder; the lush green leaves rustling in the wind, the almost musical buzzing of the cicadas, everything far enough away from the city to be genuine and undisturbed. The sky was dark enough for a few stars to appear, tiny dots floating in oblivion, the sun only a faint reddish streak in the horizon. Steven wondered how White Diamond viewed all of this. Did she think it was beautiful, or messy and pointless?

Steven sighed. "I don't really understand what any of this means," he said, "But I think this is something you should be telling Yellow and Blue. Not me."

White tensed up again, appearing even more uncomfortable than she did when they arrived on Earth. "Oh, I can't do that," she said breathily.

"Look, I know sharing your feelings can be hard," Steven said. "But right now what you guys need is to learn to communicate with each other. To actually listen to each other instead of bottling it all up inside." White might've responded to this, but he wasn't sure. If she did it was nearly inaudible. It may not have even been words.

"If you really want to make things better, then this is what you should do. It's going to be tough at first. But it's a huge step in the right direction."

At first he thought it was just his imagination, but now he knew for sure what he heard. A very, very soft sniffling sound was coming from above him. He glanced up, up, up at White in surprise to see her blink hard several times, her long black eyelashes fluttering prettily.

"And let yourself cry if you need to," he told her. "It's okay to express your emotions. It doesn't mean there's something wrong with you. It's healthy. It's _normal._"

This seemed to be the breaking point for White. A delicate sob escaped her, perhaps one she'd been holding back for thousands of years, sparkling tears soaking her cheeks. A large droplet dripped down to splash onto the grass. White buried her face in her hands as her crying increased in intensity, her body trembling. Steven nearly had to scooch out of the way to avoid being drenched.

Instead he reached out to comfort her. Because of her size, he couldn't reach her shoulder or her back, so his hand ended up near her foot instead. He never left her side the entire time, stayed with her as she sobbed heavily, until she was ready to stand up again.

…

Everyone had gone back to the beach by the time they returned. Other than a few stragglers cleaning up from Sadie's concert, the Diamonds and the Crystal Gems had the place to themselves. The Diamond's massive body ship stood proudly in the sand, observing everything. "Hi Steven!" Pearl called cheerfully, waving at him, then looking confused when she saw White Diamond walking right next to him. Steven waved absently back at her.

Yellow and Blue Diamond stood next to the ship, giggling over some inside joke shared just between the two of them. It was the most relaxed Steven had ever seen them. They too flashed him bright smiles when he approached, greeting him, but their matching grins fell when they saw the seriousness in his expression.

"White has something she wants to say to you guys," he said, stepping out of the way so she could approach them. Her silvery eyes flicked down to him, unsure.

He gave her an encouraging nod.

Yellow and Blue looked at her. Waiting.

"I…" She began, inhaling shakily. "I know I haven't spoken much to either one of you in a very long time. I just wanted you to know how much I regret that, how much I regret my actions and my choices. I was so blinded by the need to be perfect that I lost sight of what matters most. You two." She swallowed. "And Pink."

"It was because of my harsh standards that she ran away. But things are going to be different now. I'm going to be different. I never want you to be hurt because of my selfishness ever again. So…I'm sorry. About _everything._ I hope you can forgive me."

There were tears in Blue's eyes, and Yellow looked like she might be almost to that state herself. "White," Blue whispered tearfully, "Of course I forgive you. Of course."

"I do, too," Yellow said, letting out a watery breath.

White smiled, her smile, her natural smile, all three Diamonds embracing tightly. None of their eyes were dry at this moment. As they held each other, Steven was sure he saw something, a rosy-colored apparition that looked shockingly like Pink Diamond step forward to wrap her small arms around them as well.

Then it was gone.

Perhaps it had never been there at all.

...

**Review and tell me what you think :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**(2. Snake People)… **Steven didn't know how exhausted he truly is until he climbed into bed hours later. The gentle pressure of his blankets around him brings a comfort he didn't know existed, and his bedroom with all its familiar sights and smells and sounds nearly brings him to tears of joy. His father told him he'd been on Homeworld almost a week, which is news to him; time had just been so different there. The planet did have some sort of day-and-night cycle, but it wasn't like Earth's at all. Still, despite his tiredness, his mind is running about a mile a minute. He isn't his mother. He never was. He had to almost die to realize it, but he found out regardless. Because he'd worried and obsessed about it for so long, the absence of it left a weird hole in his chest, like when he felt for his gem and touched only the soft squishiness of his stomach. Perhaps this is a good thing in more ways than one. Perhaps that hole is left for a reason, to be filled with better things than the constant pressure to live up to what his mother had been. He can make his own choices, live his own life. Because for once, he surely doesn't want hers.

Thinking of this, he smiled gently, finally letting his exhaustion take full control.

It was all black for a while. Then Steven realized he was floating through that void of black. Most people would've found this a strange or frightening experience, but Steven was so used to things like this happening that he was relatively unfazed. He had no idea how long he had been here. It could've been minutes or hours, there was no way to tell time. He was wearing a watch but its face was blank. No little numbers, no black hands. It was only him, and the darkness, no sound except his own steady breathing. Except…perhaps there was something else. It was only a pinprick in the distance, but he was flying towards it rather quickly. In fact, he felt as if he were moving faster than he was moments before. Then there was wind, howling in his ears, flattening his black curls of hair. The speck was growing rapidly. Flashes of white light, making his eyes sting since they were adjusted to the dark. His heart was pounding so hard he could hear his blood rushing. _Now_ he was afraid. He was heading towards the light at an incredible speed, he couldn't stop himself even if he tried. This rollercoaster had no breaks. Faster, faster, straight to the blinding glow, until it engulfed his whole vision. Didn't people on the verge of death see a bright light? He clenched his eyes shut, anticipating the inevitable.

His body shaking with terror, it swallowed him.

A gentle warmth like a blast from the hairdryer brushed his face. It hadn't felt like passing through light. Some invisible force had been with him, wanting to push him out, and he thought briefly that it might not want him there. This was silly, of course. He knew that. Yet he floated onward. The light shoved at him, but he shoved harder, locked in a struggle that lasted mere seconds. He emerged with sparkles in his head, which spun with the odd feeling of trying to be rejected. Soaked with sweat, he opened his eyes. He was sure he wasn't dead. Unless the afterlife was the same black space he'd just been in. He could feel solid ground beneath his feet now, which meant he was no longer floating. Mist was rising up before him, swirling ghost-like in the air, and the light, while dimmer, filtered through it. Swallowing shakily, he took in his eerie surroundings, until he saw someone very familiar. His mouth went bone-dry.

The new glow was coming from White Diamond. Her arms were bound to her sides with huge metal cuffs, along with her legs, there was even one around her forehead, all connected to a huge bar behind her. It looked like it was forcing her to stand rigidly straight. Other random wires and tiny machines were also connected to her, and Steven was vaguely reminded of some of the science fiction movies he'd watched. "White…?" he whispered.

With this, White noticed him. Her head couldn't move, but her eyes could. Silvery ones met his dark ones. "Who are you?" she choked out, very brittle, as if she were using all the strength she had to speak and the effort was extremely painful. "What are you doing here?"

Steven's brow furrowed in confusion. He didn't think he would be able to speak either, so he surprised himself when he did. Or attempted to. "You don't remember me? We've met before. I'm…" He decided to choose his next words carefully. "I'm Pink Diamond's son. We fought, but then I made you blush and you agreed to come to Earth, along with the other Diamonds."

White was looking at him like he'd grown an extra head. "There are no Diamonds except for me."

_"What?"_ Steven blurted, so confused now that his thoughts were spinning everywhere. There was something about this whole situation that was making him uneasy. It was odd enough that White didn't remember him, or Pink, to be more precise, but the others as well? Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. "Of course there are more Diamonds!" he said with a nervous chuckle. "There's you, and Yellow, and Blue, and me, kind of…"

The words died on his tongue. Three figures were walking through the mist. White's gaze instantly skipped away from Steven as they emerged. They were each about seven feet tall, covered in green armor, the plates layered like scales. Their faces were hidden behind identical masks. Each of the masks were disturbingly realistic human faces, but far too smooth and shiny, like the wax figures in museums. Once again, Steven found himself paralyzed. If this really was just a dream, he'd really like to wake up in his own bed right about now.

They stopped a couple of feet in front of him. The blank stares of the glassy eyes makes a shiver go down his spine. The figure in the middle broke the silence.

"Intruder," said its whispery voice, like the strong wind of a storm howling outside a closed window. While it spoke, the rubbery pink lips of the mask didn't move.

"Shouldn't be here," said the second figure. It sounded exactly like the first. Like steam pouring from a teakettle.

"What shall we do?" breathed the third.

"Trespasser! Bring him to our Master!" The first.

Steven thought they were more talking to themselves than to him. He could smell something foul emanating from them, similar to the stale scent of manure at the zoo. He didn't like these creatures at all and suddenly wanted to get as far away from them as possible. He stared intently at White Diamond, hoping she would acknowledge him again, maybe even get these creatures to go away. When faced with these muttering, conspiring things, she actually seemed like the much more desirable option. But she didn't react like he wanted. He even thought he could hear the faint clanking of her trembling slightly in her restraints.

_"Intruder! Intruder! Intruder! Go awayyyyy!"_ They all wailed at once.

"I'm sorry!" Steven exclaimed. "I'll leave, okay?" He took a small step backward. "I'm going. Right now."

"It was _her!_" the second roared, as if Steven hadn't spoken at all. "She let in the little boy! Punish her!"

"Punish her! Punish her!"

All three of them kept repeating this, over and over, until it became something like a chant. It pounded against Steven's head like a sledgehammer, making him cringe and want to cover his ears. Without warning, none at all, there was the buzz of powerful electricity, followed by White's bloodcurdling scream of agony. Steven could see the pale lightening coursing through her body and his gut curled inside of him. Although he knew this was the same Gem who'd struck hopeless terror in millions, destroyed planets, and helped cause Corruption, he still felt an aching pity for her. He couldn't think with White shrieking like that, she wasn't even writhing, just standing there, taking it.

"STOP THAT!" he cried, his hands finally flying to throbbing head. It felt like the pain were about to burst out of his skull. All three heads snapped towards him. Instead of heeding him, the things gargled out an awful hissing laughter.

"Shall we show mercy on the Diamond?" the first creature asked slyly. "I think not. I think-"

It paused. When Steven had raised his arms to clutch at his head, his old T-shirt had risen up just a little bit. Just enough for the glittery pink gem embedded in his stomach to be on full display. It twinkled gently in the light, and the creatures had noticed it. They recoiled, growling. _"A Gem! It's a Gem! A Gem!"_

Simultaneously, the machines stopped shocking White Diamond, finally putting an end to her torture. It left her limp and raggedly gasping for breath.

This brought Steven an inkling of relief despite everything that was going on, but he didn't have time to bask in it. The creatures were slowly advancing towards him, no longer distraught or confused, but utterly infuriated. "Bring it to our Master," they hissed together. "He will want to see. Oh yes, it will make such a delightful slave…"

"S-stay back," Steven warned, his voice wavering as the bitter tang of fear rose into his mouth. He tried to summon his shield but it was no use, his gem only sputtered faintly before sparking out. The creatures started to laugh again at his failure. "No use, Gem. No use. You cannot run from our Master." Their stink was unbearable, now more like rotting flesh than anything else.

Steven knew he was trapped. The creatures were too slippery and quick. White Diamond was unable to help him, they somehow had her completely under their thumb. She didn't even know who he was. They were closing in on him, and he whimpered, watching in horror as they began to take off their masks. They did not simply pull them off, but peeled them, coming away in long fleshy strips in their clawed hands, revealing crazed reptilian eyes. Forked tongues flicked out from between nonexistent lips.

A scream caught in Steven's papery throat.

_Snake People. _


	3. Chapter 3

**(3. Nothing Can Hurt You)…** He awoke in his own bed with a gasp. He was covered in a cold sweat. Morning light shone from the window, the sky a bright and cheerful blue. The smell of cooking bacon wafted through the air, he could hear it sizzling downstairs in the kitchen, mingling with Pearl's happy humming as she wiggled the pan. He focused on these comforting things from the real world, commanding his mind to realize that what he'd seen was all just part of a ghastly nightmare, _that_ _there is no such thing as Snake People._

_Did he really believe that? _

Despite this seed of doubt planted in his own self-soothing thoughts, his heart slowed its frantic drumroll. Untangling himself from the sheets, his body throbs and his eyes are heavy, like he's barely slept at all. Judging from the state of his bed, pillows on the floor and blankets hanging off the side, he must have been restless. He numbly pulls on his usual jeans and star shirt, ignoring the weariness in his body. He rubs at his eyes and makes his way downstairs, where the scent of breakfast gets faintly stronger. Pearl flashes him a blinding grin, placing the plate on the table for him. She was so full of life, possibly more than he'd ever seen in her, so relieved that the Gem War was sure that everything was okay. "Here you are!" she chirped, then looked at him. Her happiness visibly melts into concern.

"Steven," she says slowly, "Are you alright?"

He was prepared for this question. He had a lie scripted and ready to fly off his tongue. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just had bad dreams all night." Not completely a lie.

Pearl shrugged reluctantly. "Well, alright."

Steven plopped his stiff body into a chair. The food on his plate, bacon and eggs, were arranged artistically into a smiley face. This fills him with disdain, though he couldn't explain why. And Pearl is still worried about him. He can feel it, even as she walks away and disappears inside the temple. As he pushed a greasy egg around on his plate, he wonders why he didn't want to tell her the details. He doesn't want to tell any of the Gems yet, about what White had said to him concerning her Creators, or the Snake People in his dream. But he wanted to talk to _someone._ It was too big to just keep to himself.

Ignoring his breakfast, he fished his cellphone out of his pocket, dialing Connie's number. It rang once, twice, three times. He was beginning to think his call would roll to voice mail when he heard Connie's voice, and like Pearl's, it was full of contentment. It was the voice of someone who had very little to worry about in the world.

"Hello? Steven? What's up?"

"Hey, Connie," he mumbled, "Can you come over? I really want to tell you something, but not over the phone."

"Um, yeah, I think so," she said. There was a pause. "Hey, are you alright? You sound troubled."

"Yes…I mean, no, I just…please come over. I'll explain everything."

…

Everything should've been perfect. The day was warm with a cool breeze, and people milled around enjoying the weather. Yet Steven and Connie walked grimly across the beach, ignoring the wet sand sticking to their bare feet, something they would've giggled about any other time. Connie tapped her chin thoughtfully throughout Steven's story. Simply explaining it was chilling, like he was being watched by someone who was hidden. He even found himself glancing over his shoulder.

"So you're still having Diamond dreams," Connie stated once he was finished. "But I thought all of that was over."

"Me too," Steven said grimly. Bits of sand trailed behind them as they stepped onto the boardwalk, white sailboats bobbing in the lazy waves. They sat on the dock with their legs dangling over the edge, each going over this new problem in their minds.

"It felt so real," Steven whispered. "Like the vision you and I had about my mom…but much more intense. And the Snake People. Ronaldo used to rant about them all the time, but I thought all that was fake. But what if it isn't, Connie? What if they're real?"

"Hmmm," said Connie, taking this very seriously. "I think you're the only one who can figure this out. Maybe, if the dream comes to you again, you should explore it to see if you can gain more information. You did say you had the ability to move around freely."

A red flash of panic shot into him from the mere suggestion. It wasn't a bad idea, exactly, but the Snake People had been malicious. They obviously didn't want to be friends with him, and if he started poking around in all their secrets, it might not be good. "I don't know," he said nervously. He hugged himself. "They weren't exactly welcoming when they saw me, and they tortured White Diamond. They accused her of letting me in."

"But that wasn't really her," Connie countered reasonably. "None of it was real. Whatever you see, it's only in your mind. Nothing can hurt you."

He sure hoped she was right.


	4. Chapter 4

**(4. The Past)…** That night he went to bed nervous but ready. His toothbrush had wobbled in his hand and his chest was tight, but he knew this was what he had to do. Maybe he could put an end to this madness before it truly began.

He climbed into bed and turned out the light. He lay on his back in the silent dark, wishing Amethyst would come in and start rummaging through the fridge like she sometimes did. He wanted to hear someone's voice, to be reassured that he wasn't alone in this house. That he wasn't alone with the Snake People that lurked in that bright white light. He whimpered, rolling onto his side. Amethyst didn't emerge from the temple. No one did. The neon green numbers changed on his digital Cookie Cat clock, 9:01 to 9:02. He wanted to scream. He was too hot, so he flung off the covers, which then made him too cold. His whole body felt like a wire buzzing with energy, and he wondered if he'd ever fall asleep. He imagined himself laying there, wide awake, until the faint grey light of dawn. It isn't a pleasant thought.

He forces his eyes shut, half expecting them to spring open again all on their own. He tries to capture how certain Connie's voice had been earlier, reassuring him that it was all in his head.

"_It's only in your mind, whatever you see."_

There's an inkling of comfort in this. He focuses on the feeling until it spreads through him, relaxing his tense muscles. Only then does he realize he's actually exhausted. It aches in him like a fever, dragging him deeper into darkness. He's falling as he drifts off, but that's okay.

Nothing can hurt him.

The void swallows him. That endless darkness, stealing any sort of time or direction. He's floating, and he kicks his legs like he's swimming. This way he moves through it without trouble. The light is easier to find, and he can't shake the feeling that _it_ was the one who had found _him._ He has no idea why he keeps personifying that light, because that's all it is. Light. There was no way it was recognizing him right now, flooding his body with glitter. There was less resistance, much more willing to let him in, despite it not being entirely thrilled about it. He feels the hairdryer blast and knows he must be almost past it. But the warmth was lasting longer, sticking to his face with a heavy heat, no longer a hairdryer but a distant fire. His forehead grows damp as he's sucked downward, his feet thudding onto smooth ground at last.

The light fades, shifting as a room swims into view. The glow bleeds like watercolors into blank, sturdy walls, the ceiling so high he has to strain his neck to see it. And it's _hot_. Smoldering hot, like summer had been contained in that one whole space. The scene comes fully into focus and Steven instantly notices White Diamond.

She is chained up exactly like he last saw her, but now her arms are outstretched like she's on a cross. Thin, transparent tubes are connected to her forehead, twisting outward into a large machine that vaguely reminds him of the injectors he saw at the Kindergarten, only this one is obviously not damaged.

White does not acknowledge him. Her whole body is slick and shiny with sweat.

The machine was emitting a smooth humming sound, but Steven still hears the door slide open. His heart leaps and he dives behind the machine, just as two figures glide into the room, dressed in their full snake skins. Not even pretending to be human anymore. He sees a similarity to people only in the way they walk upright and have two arms and two legs, but that was where the resemblance ended. They were a gruesome mix of a snake and an alligator. Their limbs were horribly elongated, and they constantly licked their thin lips with long blackened tongues. They approached White Diamond, whispering.

"That's enough," one hissed normally to the other. It nodded, sliding up to the machine, where Steven was hiding. He didn't breathe. If he made one sudden move, he would be found. The Snake Person was so close he saw a thin green slime coating its scaly skin. He stayed still as a statue, but it simply fiddled with the machine until the incessant buzz shut off. A heavenly blast of cold air swept into the room. It blew across Steven's flushed face, and he reveled in it, blissful as it overpowered that stifling heat. He could've sworn he even heard White let out a small sigh of relief.

"The Extraction is complete," the Snake People rasped. "You must return to your room now."

The sharp clang of metal rang through the air, the tubes and cuffs falling apart, leaving White unrestrained. She quietly stepped off the dais, but the second her feet touched the floor chains flew down from the ceiling to clamp around her wrists. She seemed deeply saddened by this, and Steven felt a stab of pity.

"Please," White said, her voice broken, "Why don't you just let me go? I want to see the universe. I want to see more than these four walls!"

The Snake People growled at her, their yellow eyes narrowing and slit-like pupils dilating.

"Foolish Diamond. You know why. You know your only purpose. Now do not ask us again. You repeat these stupid questions far too many times."

"But what if I don't _want_ this?" White said desperately.

The Snake People simply laugh. Steven got a chill from the crown of his head all the way to the tips of his toes. That bubbling, nightmarish laughter. His very core turns to ice as the Snake People throw their heads back in fits of hilarity, revealing sharp, venomous fangs poking out from the roofs of their mouths. They yank at the dragging chains, forcing White to follow them. They are still chuckling gruesomely to themselves as they exit the room, the door opening to more grey, and Steven snuck silently behind them. He ducks into several long, identical hallways, ones he would surely get lost in if he had to navigate them on his own. Wherever he was, it was as if all the life had been sucked out of this place. It was bleak, hollow, and colorless. Entirely monochromatic. It had the same eerie emptiness to it that White Diamond's ship on Homeworld did.

Steven realized his mistake immediately. Voices similar to water pouring out of a faucet echoed all around him. The voices of the Snake People, and they were coming straight towards him. He looked frantically for something to hide behind, but there was nothing. If he followed White and the other two he would be caught for sure. Stretched shadows of what looked like four more Snake People were approaching, about to turn the corner. Desperate, he ran for the first door he saw, which was so enormous he'd be able to fit his whole body underneath the crack. Flopping onto his belly, he did an awkward worm-like crawl, fighting the urge to sneeze as he got a good inhale of some sort of odd dust.

He thought briefly that the situation he'd wiggled into might be worse than the one he just escaped, but it didn't matter. He slowly stood up, footsteps and flickering shadows ghosting past him, dwindling into the distance. He gave a sigh of relief.

Even though he was facing the door, he knew this room was a copy of the other one, minus the machines and extreme temperatures. As this sunk in, he heard another very familiar voice behind him, hard and disdainful.

"What is _that?_ It's hideous!"

The back of his neck prickled intensely. Goosebumps break out all over his skin, now reminding himself that this was just a dream over and over, like a prayer. His mind processed the situation faster than his body did, so his movements were slow and hesitant when he turned to stare into the giant eyes of Yellow and Blue.

No way. No _way._

It was Yellow Diamond who had spoken. She was observing Steven as if he were a particularly long-legged spider. Blue Diamond gasps indignantly, as if Yellow had in fact insulted her instead of him. "Oh, that isn't very nice at all, Yellow," she scolded her.

Yellow rolls her eyes.

Blue kneeled down gracefully to see him better, and he takes a small step back on instinct. "It has a gem," she said softly, looking at where his shirt had risen up ever so slightly. "Yet…it doesn't look like a Gem. Hm." She reached out and pulled experimentally at his cheek, having little respect for his personal space. He swallowed nervously.

"Perhaps it's their new project," Yellow suggested. "Quite a downgrade, in my opinion."

Blue spun around, mercifully stopping her from poking at his face anymore. "Stop being rude," she huffed. Steven lightly pushed her hand away.

"Guys, please," he said, exasperated, "You know me. I'm Steven. Don't you remember?" Both Diamond's faces were blank, without even a spark of recognition in their expressions. Steven tried again. "You know…Pink Diamond? Rose Quartz? I helped you get through to White Diamond, and now we're all friends." He could tell he wasn't helping at all, in fact he feared he might be doing the opposite.

Yellow and Blue were leaning away from him. "Uh…" he stammered, grasping at straws, "If every pork chop were perfect we wouldn't have hot dogs?"

"I think it might be defective," Yellow said.

Steven shook his head, bewildered. They seriously didn't know him. But how is that possible? Either their memories had been wiped somehow, or…

Or they do meet. Eons from now.

"_When is this?"_ he breathed, knowing he was so far back in the story of the universe that it was frightening to calculate. He was seeing the past. It made sense, how none of the Diamonds knew him, and from how _young _Yellow and Blue seemed. Their physical appearances were identical, of course, but something about them felt youthful regardless. They weren't hardened by time. Blue's head was tilted a bit with a kind of innocent, kittenish curiosity, and while Yellow was still sour-faced, it was more of a childish petulance. No wonder they found him so strange. Perhaps they'd never seen anything like him.

"Okay," Steven said, starting over. "Forget about all that. Do you know the way out of here by any chance?"

Yellow gave a quick, humorless snort. "No one ever gets out of here."

Blue was sympathetic, giving him a sad smile. "Why do you wish to leave? Are you lost?"

"N-no, I'm not," Steven started, "I just want-"

"Don't worry, little one," Blue interrupted, her words cool silk. "You can stay with us for now."

Then her hand was moving towards him, daunting due to its size, flashing Steven back to the terrifying moment when White had also slowly bent down to pluck him right off his feet. The moment was put in slow motion by his panic; the last thing he wanted was to become some sort of odd pet for the young Yellow and Blue, forced to listen to their bickering and eventually die of starvation, due to their ignorance of basic human needs. Yet he doesn't move, the shadow of that reaching hand sliding over him. _Just a dream,_ he thought. _Just a dream, just a dream, just a—_

The idea was swept away when he still felt impossibly strong fingers begin to lock around him. This was not just a dream. This was something else entirely.

He flung himself from the fingers that wanted to snatch him. To his surprise, he didn't hit the ground, but continued to be yanked backward, mentally catapulting himself from the scene in front of him. He floated off. Blue Diamond became as intangible as a ghost. Her body untangled into wisps of azure fog, everything else smearing like it was being wiped away, pieces vanishing as the black gulped it like a hungry mouth. Steven soared through the void yet again, towards the veil of twinkling light. He tumbled head over heels into it, hearing himself crying out, limbs flailing. Hidden images waited for him in the light, swimming in its brilliance—White Diamond, curled up in a corner.

An endless hallway covered in cages, Gems of all shapes and sizes peering out from between the bars. A hissing creature, half-snake, half-man, with blood red eyes and sparkling jewelry covering every available inch of its body.

A dazzling pink gem encased in glass. Three shadowy figures loomed over it, and Steven recognized their silhouettes. They were watching over the gem. Protecting it. Steven could sense a gentle intelligence growing deep within it.

These images and more flickered past him, quicker with each passing second, like a DVD set on fast forward. The emotions they brought with them pounded through him like they were being hammered into his heart. Fear. Loneliness. Fury. Loathing. Betrayal. And, finally, wonder. It's all too much to take in at once. All the experiences, all the feelings, it fills his mind nearly to the point of overflowing. His eyes squeeze shut in overwhelm, his hands grabbing at his head, but it's still there, and if anything, it's closer than ever. Fireworks explode in his skull.

Unable to take anymore, he screamed.

And screamed.

…

"_What's wrong with him?"_

"_I don't know, he won't stop! Steven, can you hear us?"_

"_Should we take him to a doctor?"_

Steven arched up out of bed. The screams finally died in his raw throat. With his heart pounding liquid adrenaline through his veins, he gasped desperately, feeding air into his aching lungs. It was still dark. From the dim glow of the moon he sees three outlines surrounding him, reminding him of the vision of the pink gem. Before panic can come crashing back, Garnet's hands are on him, carefully pressing him into her broad, soothing chest. "Just take deep breaths," she whispered calmly to him, and he clung to her muscular warmth.

"Is this real?" Steven choked out, hot tears trickling down his face and forming a wet patch on the front of Garnet's suit. "Am I awake?"

"Yeah dude, you're awake," Amethyst said, wearing a tiny, reassuring smile, but her voice wavered with concern regardless.

"I think you were having night terrors again," Pearl chimed in. Steven sniffled, the terror finally fading. At home with his family and away from the Diamonds and the Snake People, the whole ordeal did feel like some silly nightmare. But he knew it wasn't that black and white, and it scared him.

He pulled slightly away from Garnet and wiped away the tears dribbling over his chin. "I had another dream about the Diamonds," he mumbled, surprising himself with the confession. Only a stunned silence greets it, however, so he struggles on. "I think…I saw them in the past. When they were young.

And there were these horrible creatures, and I think they might have created them…and their Creators saw me, too, and they hated me, and I think they wanted to hurt me and…and I was so scared…"

Pearl sat beside him on the bed, placing a thin hand on his shoulder. It silenced his rambling, and he blinks away another wave of tears.

"Steven," she said in that patient way of hers, "Listen to me. It's true that ancient aliens single-handedly created the Diamonds, and by extension the entire Gem race, but this was _far_ before even Garnet and I's time. Those beings have been extinct for a countless number of years. How you knew about them at all is a mystery."

Steven chewed his bottom lip nervously. "White Diamond told me."

"_White Diamond?"_ Amethyst blurted. "Why were you talking to her?"

"She didn't say much," Steven continued quietly, embarrassed for a reason he couldn't quite put a finger on. "I went to find her after we healed the Corrupted Gems, because she'd just disappeared. She was all upset about something, saying how she used to be alone all the time when it was just her and her Creators. I pressed her for more information, but she wouldn't say anything else. All the crazy dreams started after that."

"Our Creators are _gone,_ Steven," Garnet insisted. "Nothing can hurt you."

This is exactly what Connie told him. No one truly understood. And the last time the Crystal Gems insisted everything would be fine, Peridot, Jasper, and Lapis ended up wreaking all sorts of havoc. Yet he doesn't express any of these concerns. Would they really listen, anyway? He could tell they truly believe all of this is nonsense created in his own head. "Okay. Thank you, I feel much better now," Steven lied.

Pearl smiled. "Good. Try to go back to sleep, if you can."

They left. Steven wonders if he will ever be able to fall asleep again, but he does, slowly. The light comes to him, its presence unwanted. He felt no resistance; unlike before, it truly wanted to let him in. It welcomed him with its ethereal arms outstretched, to show him all the secrets tucked within it. Steven is curious; he'd be lying through his teeth if he said he wasn't. But he's also tired. Tired of all the drama with the Gems. It literally almost killed him a few days ago. He is just too overwhelmed, and he doesn't think he can handle anymore. Looking right at the light, he slowly shook his head and turned away.

_No thank you._

He lapsed into regular dreams with a sense of relief.


	5. Chapter 5

**(5. An Expected Visitor)… **Dark eyes are glued to the screen, flicking rapidly back and forth, fingers simultaneously wiggling the buttons on the game controller. Steven's focus is solely on the 8-bit character, swinging its digital sword against its opponent. Next to him he is dimly aware of Amethyst's sharp inhale as her own avatar barely misses his attack. "Come on," Amethyst mutters under her breath, but her reflexes aren't quick enough the second time around. Steven's character impales hers, making it blink before vanishing.

"Dang it!" Amethyst snapped, tossing down her controller in frustration while Steven laughs triumphantly.

"You can't fool me," he says between giggles. "I know you let me win."

"Did not." Amethyst crossed her arms over her chest. "You were always way better at this game."

Steven shrugged, happy he was able to claim gloating rights. Over the past few days a healthy pink color had returned to his cheeks, his curly hair not as much of a disheveled mess. Amethyst quietly observed the old sparkle in his eyes and smiled softly, glad he was able to reclaim some peace at last. She knew how stressful the last two years have been for him, with his mom and Homeworld and the Diamonds. His night terrors had thankfully, but mysteriously, ceased to exist. She thought that maybe, soon, everything could return to normal. As normal as it could be, at least.

"You seem to be doing better," she says casually, picking up her controller again. The technicolor Level 2 graphics flashed across the screen, sickeningly neon on the eyes. Their characters reappeared in their starting positions, and the clacking of the controls once again filled the room. "Yeah," Steven replies noncommittally. His avatar does a skillful backflip in mid-air, only to have his sword blocked by Amethyst's shield. "I'm not seeing Snake People in my sleep anymore. That's always a good sign."

"What about White Diamond?" Amethyst asked, whispering as if saying her name would call forth some sort of ancient bad luck.

"Haven't heard from her…aw man, I missed the upgrade!" Unfortunately for Steven, Amethyst claimed this special power instead, her character growing ten times its size and a pulsing of white energy formed around it. "Ha-ha! I've got you this time!" Amethyst cheered. This was seconds away from becoming true when the TV glitches out.

Both of their first thoughts were that it must be a miniature earthquake. But Beach City hardly ever got them, not natural ones. They froze as the ground vibrated beneath them, the rumbling wave rattling the knickknacks on the shelf above Steven's bed. The video game is reduced to colorful pixels, melting and buzzing together in a swirl of static. A fragile object fell and shattered violently against the floor.

"What fresh hell is that?" Amethyst exclaimed, her voice jerky from the shaking of the earth. Pearl and Garnet stumbled out of the Temple, arms out to keep their balance, exclaiming similar utterances. No one had an answer to any of them.

Outside, the citizens of Beach City cowered in their shops. Cars parked haphazardly in the streets, people peering wearily out their windows at the pale dot growing in the sky. Beach City is no stranger to unidentified flying objects, be it disembodied arms and legs or a whole robot ship with all its pieces intact. They'd been kidnapped and attacked by aliens. The Mayor is wondering whether or not to start the emergency protocol, but she decides to wait and see what happens. Ronaldo is sprinting down the boardwalk with his phone held high, recording this latest oddity for the scarce followers of Keep Beach City Weird, ranting excitedly through exhausted huffs of breath. His sandal catches in a loose plank of wood and he goes flying face first, his phone skittering across the dock and nearly plops into the ocean. He'd have to edit that part out later.

The ship is getting closer at an alarming rate; the reduction of distance shapes it into a floating head and torso, heading straight towards Steven's house. The Crystal Gems burst out of the door and down the hill, faces pointed up at the sky.

White Diamond has come to Earth again. And judging by the lack of metallic arms attached to her colossal ship, she's come by herself.

"I must've jinxed it," Amethyst mumbled to herself.

Despite its cumbersome size, White's ship touches down with surprising gentleness onto the beach, sand puffing out around it. Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Steven stand in front of it, looking like tiny figurines compared to it. The engine powers down and leaves an eerie silence.

It's broken by the clanking of machinery. A sleek white bubble descends from the blank grey eye of the ship, and this brings Steven back to memories he didn't quite want to remember. The bubble burst into a flurry of sparkles, revealing White Diamond. Her long cape fluttered in the breeze, her whole body radiating power.

Steven sensed a shift in the Crystal Gems' demeanor, which turned similar to cats fluffing up their tails. They still didn't quite trust her. "White Diamond," Garnet said, stepping slightly away from the group towards her. "Why did you come back to Earth? State your business."

"What have you been doing to Steven?" Pearl demanded. Steven flinched. He nervously watched Pearl's hand hovering near the gem on her forehead. _Raise your voices all you want,_ he begged in his head, _just don't summon your weapons. Please, please, PLEASE don't summon your weapons. _

"I can assure you, I did not intentionally cause any harm," White said flatly.

Steven stepped between the Gems and White Diamond, holding his hands out. "Guys, think about it," he said to the Crystal Gems. "Do you really think she'd come this far just to trick us? After everything that's happened?" There was a moment where Steven's words sunk in, and their suspicion faltered, mutual embarrassment flooding them. Steven then turned to White Diamond. "Why _are_ you here?"

"To talk to you," White said. She cast a pointed look at the Crystal Gems. "_Alone._"

Before he can agree or protest, the wall of the bubble rose up, trapping him in the small space with White Diamond. Why did she have to be so abrupt all the time? He can feel the shift in gravity as the bubble transported them all the way up into an unthinkable place: White Diamond's head.

The room the bubble deposited them into is different than the one Steven is used to being in. This is more like a sitting area, with two chairs similar to the thrones in the ballroom. White Diamond situates herself in one of them, her cape swirling around her. "Have a seat," she said lightly, gesturing to the other chair. Steven strained to look up at it; it was the perfect size for White, but it dwarfed him. Uncertain, he jumped forcefully up, his powers allowing him to soar up an impressive distance and then delicately descend onto the chair. He perched on the edge, his legs dangling. He tried not to look down.

"I suppose they don't like me very much," White said, and Steven knew she was referring to the Crystal Gems.

"Well, you did rip me apart from my own body," Steven said casually. "And attacked us with a giant robot thing. Oh, and you mind-controlled them. We can't forget about that."

White Diamond pursed her glossy black lips but said nothing. Steven squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. He had a sinking feeling that he knew why she was here, why he was here, and he wanted to get it out in the open and over with. "I saw them," Steven said. "In the visions. And Pearl confirmed that another alien race made you. Are they the Creators you mentioned? The Snake People?"

"_Snake_ People? Ha!" White gave an amused little laugh. "You humans make up such funny words! But yes, they brought me and the others to life."

Steven's next question is quieter. "Did you have something to do with what I saw?"

The small smile fell from White's lovely face. She tapped her sharp black fingernails against the arm of the chair. "I'm not quite sure how you even managed to find me. I tried to block you out, but you were insistent." Something sparkled in her pale eyes. "Just like Pink. Deep down, I guess I might've wanted to let you into my mind. But then…you refused me. Why is that?"

"It was too much for me," Steven admitted. "I wanted to know, but it was just too scary." He swallowed hard, hesitating. "White…did they really treat you that badly?" He remembered her chained up, electrocuted, locked in a boiling room and begging to be set free. "Did they hurt you?"

The pause that ensued lasted so long that Steven almost took the question back. White had gotten that faraway glaze in her eyes and he didn't like it. He'd seen it before, when he'd first heard her mention the Snake People. He feared he's pushed the wrong button. For a moment he swore she was even inches away from crying in front of him again, but she doesn't. She sighed, banishing the ghosts of her haunted past. "Yes," she answered finally. "They did everything you saw, and worse. He was the one who told me I was supposed to be flawless. And I was going to be, whether I wanted to or not. He never let me leave that place. In the end I grew tired of being treated like a machine."

"But that's exactly what _you_ did to everyone else!" Steven snapped, leaping to his feet as anger surged through him. His sudden outburst actually made White flinch a little. The action was so brief Steven normally wouldn't have even noticed it, but he did, so he used it. "Forcing everyone into a box, not allowing them to be who they are, just like they did to you. Didn't you realize that? Didn't you remember how horrible that made you feel?"

White's eyes drifted downward in…What? Shame? Steven plopped back down, most of the frustration draining from him now that he's gotten his point across. "I know that now," White said. "You were the one who made me realize it."

A heaviness weighs down on Steven's heart, but he can't quite identify what it is. "Is that all you came to talk about?" he asked. He's tired again, that's for sure.

"No," White says. "I came to tell you the whole story. And this is a much more appropriate way of doing so." Steven wants to know. The whole thing has been eating away at him for days, tying up his mind with all the unanswered questions racing around. He used to search for answers too adamantly, and now here's a chance to learn about Gems, and possibly his mother. But he isn't sure how comfortable he is about White opening up her old scars just for him.

"Won't that be painful for you?" Steven asked her. "To relive all that?"

"Possibly," she said. "But you deserve to know. Pink knew everything, and she wasn't even around back then. Not yet."

His thoughts spun. _Not around yet. The twinkling pink gem housed in the glass dome. The three Diamonds watching over it. _He nodded. "Okay. I'll listen."


End file.
